Any time a militant organization rises with violent acts in the name of Islam, some Muslim leaders grow vocal in denouncing radicalization as they distance their faith from terrorism. Often times, some of these religious leaders seem to condemn certain actions or groups because the society expects them to do so — or because they’re concerned that critics might put them in the spotlight for their silence.

But Sheikh Jamel Ben Ameur, an Islamic scholar and imam of Masjid Al-Tawba Islamic Cultural Community Center in Eden Prairie, has refused to denounce the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria for one reason, he says: because the news reports about the Islamic State are “confusing” and “complicated.”

Ben Ameur has called on his Muslim counterparts to be careful about their comments regarding the group amid developing revelations that several Twin Cities Muslims have been recruited to join the Islamic State, which is also often referred to as ISIS or ISIL. In the most recent instance, two Minnesota men — Abdullahi Yusuf, 18, and Abdi Nur, 20 — were charged this week with conspiring to support the terrorist organization.

When he spoke to a crowd of about 100 Muslims at Masjid Al-Tawba earlier this fall, Ben Ameur said many people in the Muslim community ask Islamic scholars to condemn the group. And Ben Ameur has a message for those seeking his view on the ISIS issue: “We don’t need to accuse people of something we don’t know about. We don’t have to jump into judgment.”

In June, the Islamic State declared an Islamic caliphate, and designated Abu Bakr Al-Baghdadi as the caliph and “leader of Muslims everywhere.” Since then, ISIS has remained under a global microscope that has magnified its violent actions, which have including crucifixions and beheadings, most notably of American journalists James Foley and Steven Sotloff.

Despite international media reports of the murder of these men — which U.S. and British officials as well as family members have confirmed — Ben Ameur has expressed skepticism about the authenticity of the videos and news reports. “We don’t know if [ISIS] did it or not,” he said. “This is confusing; we don’t know the news that’s coming to us. [Therefore], we don’t want to name names.”
Violence in the region is ‘not Islam’

When it comes to the acts of violence that the Islamic State has reportedly perpetuated in Iraq and Syria, however, Ben Ameur has been quick to say that those actions are un-Islamic, a remark that President Obama echoed during a September speech on ISIS. “Those actions are not Islam,” Ben Ameur said. “To empower Islam doesn’t mean to kill people and to takeover [territories].”…

It remains an unanswered question as to why there are so many misunderstanders of Islam on this point, going back to the legends of Muhammad himself.

Comments

The usual MUslim taqiyya at work. the truth is all of these Muslims are wishing ISIS to succeed to establish caliphate and take over the entire world. at that time these traitors will openly join ISIS and wil be decapitating non-Muslims.

Islamic scholar is an oxymoron – just reciting Quran more than once doesn’t make them a scholar. Besides nothing in Quran is complicated at nobody can understand it besides these so called scholars”. Murder is murder and rape is rape but these lying scholars make it into lovefest!! Again there is no limit to Muslim lying!!

One of the MN Somalis was freed after the charges against him were dropped, because he received his passport approximately 1 week before IS was declared a terrorist organisation. His lawyer was surprised ( though pleasantly so), but fretted to the TV interviewer that the government may keep an eye on him to try to get info about his connections with Syrians/IS. Don’t know why she’s concerned about that; he’s probably already on his way back to join his brothers-in-arms, and will no doubt be warmly welcomed back ‘home’ with his newly acquired knowledge. He will be then be left alone, protected by his mosque from further local law enforcement ‘harassment’.

Islam in theory and practice.
In theory, everything done is for Allah according to its rules. In practice everything done is for Allah according to its rules. If you disagree you are guilty of slander, according to its rules….

I haven’t heard if the Sheikh has offered explanations or opinions as to how else Islam empowers itself, other than by killings and takeovers ( and all else that history and his book show )… perhaps I just haven’t been listening?

Imam scholars around the world, I have a question. Bukhari’s accounts about your Mo and Aisha: 1400 hundred years of Islamist scholarship has allowed me to read those accounts of your Mo and Aisha today, in the year 2014. These accounts have been deemed worthy by too many Islamist scholars of past to remain within your schools and books for over 12, 13 centuries of time. The question is: because the Creator designed children to be non-sexual, why didn’t the Creator send a revelation of sorts to your Mo expressing displeasure? Surely the intimate friendship Your Mo claimed to have had with the Creator, and Your Mo’s conduct with Aisha must have provoked and then warranted some type of reaction from the Creator? Either the Big Brother Creator nodded and winked with a smile towards your Mo while he engaged with Aisha, or I have to surmise Mo actually never did have an intimate and prophetic relationship with the Creator.

Yes, Bukhari’s account is legit. And someday the masses of people will see your Mo as having no intimate bond with the Creator, which is why there were no revelations to your Mo in regards to Aisha, and all the Islamist scholars such as yourself will be considered as “not valid.”

‘ When it comes to the acts of violence that the Islamic State has reportedly perpetuated in Iraq and Syria, however, Ben Ameur has been quick to say that those actions are un-Islamic, a remark that President Obama echoed during a September speech on ISIS. “Those actions are not Islam,” Ben Ameur said. “To empower Islam doesn’t mean to kill people and to takeover [territories].”… ‘

Oh, for crying out loud! What was that Prophet Mohammad doing back in the day, inviting unbelievers to ice cream socials and offering to mow their lawns?

Why the hell should a imam denounce isis?
isis is 100% islam.The only bad thing for islam is.Isis is bad PR for islam.that’s why (meanwhile) some imams condemn isis.
They neither condemned boko hatam,nor al qaida,nor isis in the beginning.
They only start doing so because of societies pressure and to protect islams reputation.

If muslims were able to hide those evil doings in the media they’d be happy for isis being successfull.
Proof-all those imams know very well that ethnical cleansing and terrorising minorities is very common in islamic countries,but as these crimes are ignored by the media the imams won’t say a word against this crimes.

i’d rather have an imam who is at least 5% hoenest ,like the guy above,than those hipocritters who just denounce because of being pressured.

… Sheikh Jamel Ben Ameur, an Islamic scholar and imam of Masjid Al-Tawba Islamic Cultural Community Center in Eden Prairie, has refused to denounce the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria for one reason, he says: because the news reports about the Islamic State are “confusing” and “complicated.”

Yeah, when they sawed off the first decapitee’s haid, I was confused. Then when they kidnapped 1,000 girls and young women to sell as sex slaves, I muttered to myself, “What?” The subtlety and complexity of the Moslem has always thrown me for a loop.

But what is NOT confusing is why the taxpayers of Minnesota pay this guy’s monthly rent and food bill. *That* is hard to explain. Whaddya think, the guy toils at the local Tires Plus busting wheels and balancing front ends before returning to his private passion on Friday? No, he’s paid by some NGO or state agency to be mixed up on the Jihad. He’s paid by us.

There should be a public registry of every person who receives taxpayer money of every kind, and for every amount. If the self-congratulatory Swedes in this state knew that this guy is paid by us, they might cut him loose and tell him to get a damned job. Then the oil money to support him would have to come in from the Kingdom or Persia, or even the Levant. Then he might get caught up in a financial crime case.

So why doesn’t Jamel explain to Baghdadi in Islamic terms precisely where it is he’s going wrong?

Because he says the reporting on ISIS is bad, he thinks Caliph al-Baghdadi isn’t being given a fair shake on the television set and that the Islamic scholars must wait until all the facts are known. There is no argument inside of Moslemhood, except on tactics, timing, and who gets the booty.

Islam is a cover-up.
It is time the media is held accountable and forced to wake up.
It isn’t just ISIS selling Yazidi and Christian women as sex slaves.
Muslims sexually abused non-Muslim girls in sex rings in England with the aid of PC cover-up..
How many poor young Muslim children are being sexually molested by their creepy Muslim imams?
We may never know. While the BBC and many others did extensive in-depth reporting on the Catholic Church sex scandal even to the point of using hearsay and innuendo, they cower before Islamo-fascist lobby groups.

ISIS is what most Muslim see as a truly Islamic state that does not follow the western ways except in terms of weaponry. Many Muslim I talked to hate the western influence on their Muslim culture. What does that mean? That means they don’t like western thought of freedom and tolerance influencing their Islamic countries.

This imam is not alone in his opinion. This is what most Muslim secretly think even though they will denounce their many atrocities in your face.

“An Egyptian court has designated the Islamic State group a terrorist organization and banned it in the country.
“The court ruling Sunday adds that it considers all of the Islamic State’s affiliates to be terrorist organizations as well.”

Yes, and the Muslims discovered America, there was never a moon landing, the Mossad planned 9/11 and there are Zionist gremlins running around in your brain.
Maybe the new amnesty program can allow more people like this guy into the country; after all, they are only doing the conspiracy theories that native Americans can’t be bothered with.

At least he’s truthful and not playing two face I suppose. Rather them quit playing ‘religion of peace’ in English and ‘Islam as we all know it is’ in Arabic and just admit it. It’s not like anyone would care even if they all said this.

One of the worst misundersters of islam was allah himself. He got loads of things wrong in Mecca and had to back track in Medina. I mean if allah can’t figure out what all this cr@p is about then who else has a chance? It’s probably best that we just ditch it and move long.

“My name is Sheikh Jamel Ben Ameur and I am the Imam who was profiled in your story, “Minnesota Imam Looks at ‘Caliphate’ Through Islamic Lens.” I was shocked to read this article, which inaccurately characterized my position on current world events and misrepresented my statements, many of which your reporter completely fabricated and were not uttered during my presentation to our youth group.
More concerning to my organization and me, is that your reporter attended a youth group lecture without identifying himself as a member of the press. The article implies that he interviewed me and was able to get my statements on the record for his story. In reality, neither I nor anyone who was present at the mosque knew that he was a reporter, or that he was taking pictures of our members without their consent. No photography release forms were signed by members of my congregation, and this should be addressed immediately through the appropriate channels.

Our organization is open to speaking about our views and the way we engage youth in our community, but we do not appreciate falsified articles that obtain information in problematic and misleading ways. Moreover, the topic I presented on was concerning the Islamic concept of Caliphate, and its principles and implementation. My talk was given on September 9th of this year, and was not about ISIS or any group. In actuality, this dreadful organization was never mentioned in my presentation.

The purpose of my presentation was neither about “dos and don’ts” or “who to condemn,” but rather to educate our youth in the true Islamic knowledge and principles so that they can now and in the future make rational, religiously informed decisions un-swayed by emotions. I believe that helping our young people gain these life skills will help them to be productive members of American society.

I am requesting a full retraction of the story and a printed public apology. I would hope that your organization would more closely monitor its reporters in the future to ensure you are upholding the highest journalistic standards.”

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